The invention relates to a milling cutting element for face milling of a workpiece surface, and to a method for face milling.
The production of flat workpiece surfaces is realized with the so-called face milling, which can be divided into a peripheral face milling and in a peripheral face plain milling. When peripheral face milling (hobbing) is involved, the tool axis is parallel to the workpiece surface. The milling tool operates only with its peripheral cutters.
When peripheral face plain milling is involved, however, the tool axis is perpendicular to the workpiece surface. The cutters of the milling tool are divided into peripheral cutters and face cutters. The peripheral cutters remove the surface material in a feed motion transversely to the tool axis, while the face cutters of the milling tool smoothly scrape the machined workpiece surface.
DE 195 16 946 A1 discloses a generic tool which can be used for face milling a substantially flat workpiece surface. During milling operation, the milling tool can be operated with a rotary movement about a tool axis at a right angle to the workpiece surface and with a feed movement transversely to the tool axis and along the workpiece surface. The milling tool has main cutting elements on an end face, with the face cutter thereof removing the surface-side workpiece material to a nominal size.
In this milling operation, distinction is made between clearance angle, wedge angle, and rake angle of the cutting elements. The magnitude of these angles depends on the respective tool/workpiece combination. The clearance angle in particular of peripheral cutters limits in terms of production the relevant feed rate of the end mill. When increasing the clearance angle, the feed rate can be increased. However, the increase of the clearance angle is accompanied by a corresponding reduction of the wedge angle of the peripheral cutter, so that there is the risk of tool breakage or at least of premature wear.